Open AccessIsolation of CD1 genes: a family of major histocompatibility complex-related differentiation antigens.
Author(s) -
Luis Martin,
Franco Calabi,
César Milstein
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.011
H-Index - 771
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.83.23.9154
Subject(s) - major histocompatibility complex , biology , homology (biology) , genetics , gene , complementary dna , microbiology and biotechnology , cd1 , cdna library , antigen , beta 2 microglobulin , homologous chromosome , histocompatibility , human leukocyte antigen , cd8 , immunology , natural killer t cell
CD1 differentiation antigens are defined by a group of monoclonal antibodies that characterize immature human thymocytes. A cloned cDNA has been used to identify CD1 genes in a human genomic library. Five CD1 genes have been isolated, and Southern blot analysis suggests that these represent all the cross-hybridizing human CD1 genes. They share a highly conserved exon, which is homologous to the beta 2-microglobulin-binding domain (alpha 3) of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I antigens. In this domain, amino acid sequences are 71-88% homologous. However, the homology between CD1 and MHC class I alpha 3 domains is only 21%. This is the same degree of homology as between either of them and the class II beta 2 domain, which does not bind beta 2-microglobulin. The evolutionary implications of these results are discussed.